A collective labor agreement update from all education sectors

Tekst Rob Voorwinden - redactie het onderwijsblad - 5 juni 2019 - 8 Minuten om te lezen

Picture: Nina Maissouradze

The collective labor agreement for primary education has already expired, that for higher professional education will only expire on 1 April next year. Curbing the workload is a deep-rooted wish that lives everywhere.

Primary education: The cabinet must close the pay gap

• Aim for a 5 percent salary increase - free of the pay gap that has yet to be closed
• More attention for support staff in the new collective labor agreement
• Team to act in the division of work at school

Teachers in primary and special education received a considerable salary increase last year, partly because the LA salary scale was abolished. In addition, an overall wage increase of 2,5 percent was agreed for all staff. That is the good news.

Deaf

The bad news for teachers is that there is still a large pay gap with colleagues in secondary education. That gap must be closed, and a lot of extra money is needed from the cabinet to do so. That unfortunately has been a deaf ear to the actions of the education staff for more money - also for other educational sectors. With the big one as a temporary highlight demonstration on the Malieveld, in March this year.

Despite the fact that the cabinet still does not come to the conclusion, negotiations have started with employers for a new collective labor agreement. “The campaigns were and are aimed at the cabinet, extra money is needed. But in the meantime the current collective labor agreement expired on March 1, ”says AObnegotiator Eugenie Stolk. “And much more is regulated in a collective labor agreement than just money, so we find it irresponsible to wait longer. As long as the cabinet does not think it is done with us. ”

AObdirector Eugenie Stolk: 'In a collective labor agreement much more is arranged than just money. As long as the cabinet doesn't think it's rid of us'

Educational support staff

In the new CLA, the AOb include more emphasis on improving the position of educational support staff. "In the previous collective labor agreement the emphasis was on teachers' salaries, because the coalition agreement specifically made money available for teachers," says Stolk. "Now it is also the turn of the supporters and the directors."

At the moment, the AOb for example with the supporters about new job descriptions for support staff and school leaders. After that, the collective labor agreement negotiations start with the employers. “I think it will become clear before the summer holidays whether we will work it out together as employers and employees,” says Stolk. “And again: if a collective labor agreement is reached, it is separate from our claim to the cabinet. We hope that the employers will again want to join us against The Hague. After all, given the current teacher shortages, it is in everyone's interest that the teaching profession becomes attractive again. And that starts with a decent payment. ”

Work division plan

One point from the 'old' collective labor agreement that schools are currently working on is the work division plan. Teams mutually decide how the work will be divided at school. Stolk: “How much time is there for pre and post work, when is the break? The team can now largely decide that for itself. In practice, I see that many teams do indeed take up that role, and I am curious about the results. ”

Secondary education: This month a 2,15 percent salary increase

• 2,15 percent in June 2019
• The wishes of the members for a new collective labor agreement have now been mapped out
• High workload remains a problem

Secondary education staff will receive a 2019 percent pay rise this month, June 2,15. This autumn, negotiations will start on the new collective labor agreement, which should take effect on October 1, 2019.

AObnegotiator Henrik de Moel is currently traveling across the country to gauge what wishes AObmembers for the new collective labor agreement. “I already know two topics: salary and work pressure. Work pressure remains a problem, and I don't see how we can solve this properly without extra money coming from The Hague. ”

AOb-director Henrik de Moel: 'Work pressure remains a problem'

Urgency

In general, De Moel is increasingly concerned about the quality of education, which is coming under pressure due to teacher shortages. "I really miss the urgency from politicians to do something about this."

In the current collective labor agreement it has been agreed that teachers will teach less from the 2019-2020 school year in order to free up time for educational development. See an extensive article about this on page 58.

Secondary vocational education: 2,3 percent wage increase per June

• 2,3 percent salary increase in June 2019
• Another one-off payment as of January 2020 of 1,25 percent of the gross salary

The current collective labor agreement is almost a year old and will run until July 2020. In this collective labor agreement a substantial salary increase has been agreed for all MBO employees. As part of that, employees will receive a 2019 percent pay rise this month, June 2,3. And a one-off payment of 2020 percent from January 1,25.

Workload

An important agreement in the current collective labor agreement is that every institution draws up a plan to control the workload. “We organized meetings with works councils on this subject and published a route planner about it,” says AObnegotiator Hélène Jansen. Important subjects for controlling the workload are, for example, the style of management and the rosters and replacement. ”

These workload plans should be available to all institutions by 1 July. Jansen: “Many works councils have prepared proposals and are currently waiting for a written proposal from their executive board. I am curious about the results and I am in any case glad that the subject of 'work pressure' is now being taken seriously. ”

AObsector director Hélène Jansen: 'I am curious about the results and am in any case glad that the subject of 'work pressure' is now being taken seriously'

Starters

Other agreements in the current collective labor agreement are that starters in secondary vocational education will receive a 6,25 percent reduction of their standard annual workload each year for two years in order to be able to settle in. For a full-time job, that is 100 hours per course year. “This is already being done in practice, it is important that in the new school year it is not forgotten to record the extra formation for those hours in the formation plan,” says Jansen.

Finally, newly appointed teaching support staff belonging to the primary process (often referred to as 'instructors') are given the same arrangements as teachers to meet legal competence requirements. Such as the right to a study plan, a training program, coaching and facilitation in time and budget. “We notice that institutions arrange training themselves or purchase externally,” says Jansen. “And we generally hear positive stories from employees in practice. I am happy with that."

Higher professional education: Summer bonus in June

• 400 euro bonus in June 2019
• The bonus is in addition to the May salary increase
• Flexible labor has been greatly reduced

Staff in higher professional education will receive a summer bonus of four hundred euros gross in June 2019. That bonus comes on top of last month's salary increase of 2,4 percent. After that, a new collective labor agreement will be concluded, which should come into effect on April 1, 2020.

One of the most important agreements in the current collective labor agreement is to reduce flexible work in higher professional education. For regular work, a permanent contract, or a contract with the prospect of permanent employment, is the starting point. Each university college sets an upper limit for the number of flexible jobs with the consent of the participation council.

Cover

That agreement has had an effect. “We are now seeing a real change in the field of flexible work,” says AObnegotiator Douwe van der Zweep. “The automatism is gone. But it remains an important point for us: we will continue to monitor whether the number of flexible jobs is indeed steadily decreasing. ”

Douwe van der Zweep, AOb- director of higher professional education: 'We are now really seeing a turnaround in the field of flexible employment'

Consult

Negotiations for the new collective labor agreement will start this autumn. “We will first consult our members: what do they think are the most important topics,” says Van der Zweep.
He predicts that, in addition to flexible work and salary, work pressure will remain an important point in the negotiations. In the current collective labor agreement it has already been agreed that each university of applied sciences, together with the participation council, will draw up an action plan for reducing that workload. Van der Zweep: “We are going to investigate whether there is a great common denominator in those plans. What works and what doesn't? I would like to hear that from our members, and that is important input for our position in the next collective bargaining negotiations. ”

University education: More permanent jobs are urgently needed

• The current collective labor agreement runs until January 1, 2020
• Salary, workload and reducing flexible work will be spearheads in the new collective labor agreement

The collective labor agreement of the universities is established through co-creation, says Jan Boersma, negotiator at FNV Education & Research. “We do not start with a formal exchange of letters with everyone's collective labor agreement commitment, but together we look at which topics we consider important. After that, there will of course be tough negotiations. ”

Jan Boersma, FNV Education & Research: 'We don't start with a formal exchange of letters, but together we look at which topics we consider important'

Flex work

The current collective labor agreement runs until January 1, 2020. In February this year, university staff received a 2,6 percent salary increase. In the negotiations for the new collective labor agreement, flexible work will be a spearhead, in addition to a substantial wage increase and reduction of the workload. Boersma: “Many universities have a core of permanent university lecturers, senior lecturers and professors. But around it there is a large group of flex workers who hardly have any opportunities for permanent employment. That really has to change. ”
During the educational campaigns in March, a university lecturer said that he sometimes received an email on Mondays with 'Welcome to our age-old university' and an email on Friday to report to the employment office. “That sums up the problem,” says Boersma.

Curious about your collective labor agreement? Go to the CLA page of your sector.